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Wood Beads

  • White Eye Inlaid Arabian Prayer Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $39.00 - $39.00
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    White Eye Inlaid Arabian Prayer Beads

    Out of stock

    Evocative of a lost world, these beautiful Arabian prayer beads have been handcrafted by a master artisan. Look carefully and you will see that eac...

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    $39.00 - $39.00
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  • Diamond-Pattern Inlaid Arabian Prayer Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $39.00 - $39.00
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    Diamond-Pattern Inlaid Arabian Prayer Beads

    Out of stock

    Evocative of a lost world, these beautiful Arabian prayer beads have been handcrafted by a master artisan. Look carefully and you will see that eac...

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    $39.00 - $39.00
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  • Ebony Tuareg Pendant (Diamond) - The Bead Chest
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    $16.00 - $16.00
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    Ebony Tuareg Pendant (Diamond)

    Out of stock

    This beautiful pendant was crafted in Niger West Africa by the Tuareg people. The Tuareg are a nomadic desert tribe that inhabits a broad expanse o...

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    $16.00 - $16.00
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  • Inlaid Ebony Tuareg Talisman Pendant - The Bead Chest
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    Inlaid Ebony Tuareg Talisman Pendant

    Out of stock

    This ebony pendant was hand-carved from authentic ebony wood by expert artisans in the Mali region. Tuareg people are known for their beautiful woo...

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    $16.00 - $16.00
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  • "99 Names of Allah" Silver Inlaid Ebony Arabian Prayer Beads (12mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $165.00 - $165.00
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    "99 Names of Allah" Silver Inlaid Ebony Arabian Prayer Beads (12mm)

    Out of stock

    Admire this special strand of authentic ebony wood beads inlaid with the "99 names of Allah." Handcrafted by a master artisan, every single bead is...

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    $165.00 - $165.00
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  • Patterned Silver Tuareg Ebony Cuff Bracelet - The Bead Chest
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    $12.00 - $12.00
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    Patterned Silver Tuareg Ebony Cuff Bracelet

    Out of stock

    Admire this unique Tuareg cuff bracelet. The Tuaregs are a nomadic desert people that inhabit a large swath of the desert in West Africa stretching...

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    $12.00 - $12.00
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  • Black Ebony Arabian Prayer Beads (10mm) (Long Strand) - The Bead Chest
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    Black Ebony Arabian Prayer Beads (10mm) (Long Strand)

    Out of stock

    Evocative of a lost world, these beautiful Arabian prayer beads have been handcrafted by a master artisan. The refined quality of these beads belie...

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    $35.00 - $35.00
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  • Ebony Mali Anvil Prayer beads - The Bead Chest
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    Ebony Mali Anvil Prayer beads

    Out of stock

    Check out these very unusual wood beads from Mali, West Africa. Similar to the more common Mali Prayer Beads, these unusual beads are made from ebo...

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  • Vintage Mock Black Coral Beads (Round) - The Bead Chest
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    Vintage Mock Black Coral Beads (Round)

    Out of stock

    Beautiful strand of mock coral beads. Each wood bead has been individually inlaid with metal eye designs.

    $25.00 - $25.00
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  • Ebony Tuareg Pendant (Unique) - The Bead Chest
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    Ebony Tuareg Pendant (Unique)

    Out of stock

    This beautiful pendant was crafted in Niger West Africa by the Tuareg people. The Tuareg are a nomadic desert tribe that inhabits a broad expanse o...

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    $16.00 - $16.00
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  • Silver Inlaid Ebony Disk Arabian Prayer Beads (11mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Silver Inlaid Ebony Disk Arabian Prayer Beads (11mm)

    Out of stock

    Evocative of a lost world, these beautiful Arabian prayer beads have been handcrafted by a master artisan. Look carefully and you will see that eac...

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    $35.00 - $35.00
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  • Silver Inlaid Ebony Disk Arabian Prayer Beads (9mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Silver Inlaid Ebony Disk Arabian Prayer Beads (9mm)

    Out of stock

    Evocative of a lost world, these beautiful Arabian prayer beads have been handcrafted by a master artisan. Look carefully and you will see that eac...

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    $29.00 - $29.00
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  • Ebony Tuareg Pendant (Triangle) - The Bead Chest
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    Ebony Tuareg Pendant (Triangle)

    Out of stock

    This beautiful pendant was crafted in Niger West Africa by the Tuareg people. The Tuareg are a nomadic desert tribe that inhabits a broad expanse o...

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    $16.00 - $16.00
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  • Ebony Tuareg Pendant (Teardrop) - The Bead Chest
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    Ebony Tuareg Pendant (Teardrop)

    Out of stock

    This beautiful pendant was crafted in Niger West Africa by the Tuareg people. The Tuareg are a nomadic desert tribe that inhabits a broad expanse o...

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    $16.00 - $16.00
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  • Dark Eye Inlaid Arabian Prayer Beads (6mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Dark Eye Inlaid Arabian Prayer Beads (6mm)

    Out of stock

    Evocative of a lost world, these beautiful Arabian prayer beads have been handcrafted by a master artisan. Look carefully and you will see that eac...

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    $39.00 - $39.00
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  • Red & Silver Eye Inlaid Arabian Prayer Beads - The Bead Chest
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    Red & Silver Eye Inlaid Arabian Prayer Beads

    Out of stock

    Evocative of a lost world, these beautiful Arabian prayer beads have been handcrafted by a master artisan. Look carefully and you will see that eac...

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    $39.00 - $39.00
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  • Vintage-Style Ebony Tuareg Pendant (52x29mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Vintage-Style Ebony Tuareg Pendant (52x29mm)

    Out of stock

    This intricately crafted Ebony Cross Pendant was crafted in Morocco Africa by the Tuareg people. The Tuareg are a nomadic desert tribe that inhabit...

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    $16.00
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  • Red & Blue Inlaid Eye Arabian Prayer Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $32.00 - $32.00
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    Red & Blue Inlaid Eye Arabian Prayer Beads

    Out of stock

    Evocative of a lost world, these beautiful Arabian prayer beads have been handcrafted by a master artisan. Look carefully and you will see that eac...

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    $32.00 - $32.00
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  • Silver Inlaid Ebony Round Arabian Prayer Beads (9mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $65.00 - $65.00
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    Silver Inlaid Ebony Round Arabian Prayer Beads (9mm)

    Out of stock

    Evocative of a lost world, these beautiful Arabian prayer beads have been handcrafted by a master artisan. Look carefully and you will see that eac...

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    $65.00 - $65.00
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  • Mauritanian Inlaid Wood Bicone Beads (14x18mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $79.00 - $79.00
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    Mauritanian Inlaid Wood Bicone Beads (14x18mm)

    Out of stock

    Brought to you from a village not far from Western Mali, these beautiful ebony wood beads are uniquely inlaid with a traditional tribal pattern usi...

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    $79.00 - $79.00
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  • Vintage Mock Black Coral Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $25.00 - $25.00
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    Vintage Mock Black Coral Beads

    Out of stock

    Beautiful strand of mock coral beads. Each wood bead has been individually inlaid with metal eye designs.

    $25.00 - $25.00
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  • Tuareg Ebony Silver Inlaid Pendant - The Bead Chest
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    $16.00 - $16.00
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    Tuareg Ebony Silver Inlaid Pendant

    Out of stock

    This beautiful pendant was crafted in Niger Africa by the Tuareg people. The Tuareg are a nomadic desert tribe that inhabits a broad expanse of ter...

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    $16.00 - $16.00
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  • Blue Dotted Inlaid Arabian Prayer Beads - The Bead Chest
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    Blue Dotted Inlaid Arabian Prayer Beads

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    Evocative of a lost world, these beautiful Arabian prayer beads have been handcrafted by a master artisan. Look carefully and you will see that eac...

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    $35.00 - $35.00
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With their warm colors and striking natural inclusions, its hardly surprising that African Wood Beads were once a coveted format of currency among the indigenous tribes of Africa. The exchange of wooden beads for goods can be traced back to the Neolithic era in 10000 B.C when humans pioneered crop cultivation, and began to farm land for both self sufficiency and profit. According to historian Lois Dubin, wooden beads were also prized among the Neolithic Egyptians, with many burying great hoards alongside their dead believing that money would aid them in the afterlife. For many tribes, Wood Beads are an ecological preference over newer materials such as glass and plastic. The Maasai people of Kenya are particularly renowned for their ethical approach, and still prefer to use wooden beads for their elaborate tiered collars and exuberant pendants which distinguish them from other clans. Wooden Heishi Beads are among the earliest known formats to be produced for adornment. Both the Surma of Ethiopia and the Dogon tribes of Mali reproduced shell Heishi Beads from soft woods and bamboo, strings of which would often be exchanged with other clans for weaponry and animals. Distinguished by its reddish-brown hue and beautiful natural inclusions, Rosewood has become a particularly popular material for bead-craft among tribes in Ghana, the Congo and Cameroon. Usually round or oval in shape, Rosewood Beads are often used to create strings of Prayer Beads, or as accents for necklaces made of lighter woods, such as Olive and Palm. Known for their hardiness and durability, Olive Wood Beads have proven particularly popular for African Rosaries, and you'll find many are carved with symbols that have some kind of religious connotation. Palm Wood Beads, made from the timber of coconut bearing palm trees, are also becoming increasingly popular in the West. A delicious golden hue with flecks of dark brown, they make for beautiful focal spacers for Bohemian necklaces and chunky African bracelets!

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